Expect the Expected
by Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk
Summary: Saria is overjoyed to hear one of her closest friends is finally finding his place among the Kokiri. But after some thought, she finds that maybe all is not as well as she might think. She knew what to expect... so why is it so surprising? Short Story.


**Author's Note:** This is the first fan-fiction that I've ever written that has been based off a video game, and I must confess that I enjoy letting my inner dork out for some fresh air. The dialogue sounds a little cheesy when one is trying to be serious, but you'll find out why in the next paragraph.

_Something you need to know before reading:_ the dialogue is straight from the Ocarina of Time game. This tells another side of the story, and is happening during the period of time in which Link tries to break the curse on the Great Deku Tree and then heads out of the forest to enter the "real world."

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Expect the Expected_

Saria sat motionlessly on the branch of a tree, her feet dangling below her. A small light hovered in the leaves beside her, as silent as Saria herself, apart from the whir of tiny wings. Staring down at the oblong instrument in her hand, she moved an idle thumb along the contours of it. She had taken it out earlier, considering using it to try to settle her nerves, but she had become preoccupied with her thoughts.

Almost two hours had passed since she had first heard from a jubilant friend that the Great Deku Tree had sent for him. A simple smile was the only reply she had at the sight of his proud stance underneath his newly acquired fairy and the sparkle of pure joy in his eyes as he gave her the news. It was easy for her to share in his happiness, for it seemed that precisely what she had always prayed would happen was actually happening: he was finally finding his place among the other Kokiri.

She was there the night he had first entered the forest, wrapped in a piece of blackened cloth and in the arms of a woman. Saria had stayed in the shadow of the trees—along with most of the other Kokiri children—peering through the bushes to see this unusual spectacle: never in her entire life had she seen such a gigantic female! Much less a tiny, red-faced, bawling creature—what a raucous racket he had made with all his squealing! She and the others watched as the woman staggered through the trees toward the Great Deku Tree's hollow. After that night, Saria never saw the woman again, and it was later revealed to the Kokiri by the Great Deku Tree that she was a messenger sent by the gods to deliver a great gift. However, he had warned them never to speak of the events of that night again, and his wish was obeyed.

After her friend told her the good news, Saria watched him run off after his fairy toward the Deku Tree's hollow. She waited patiently in front of his house for his return, but it only took a little less than an hour before worry began to pervade her thoughts. What could the Great Deku Tree possibly have wanted to say that would keep him so long? She had an idea… but it was only a hunch, and when was the last time one of her hunches had ended up being true? She couldn't remember. But that was a minute comfort for the ever-growing amount of concern she felt. After an hour and a half of anxious waiting, she decided it would be better if she was moving around so that, maybe, she could loosen up some of her nerves.

The Sacred Forest Meadow had always been one of her favorite places to go when she needed some cheering up. It was a place she could always count on, because, there, she was almost never disturbed. She would sometimes play music with her ocarina, knowing that the forest spirits were listening. Doing this brought her a kind of joy that nothing else could, and she felt it was her responsibility to share that joy with the entire forest. But today, the meadow wasn't the place for her: what she needed was a place to think.

That was how she ended up here, sitting in a tree, overlooking the suspended rope bridge leading out of Kokiri Forest. Hardly any of the Kokiri would dare venture so close to the edges of the forest, for it was common knowledge that the only thing that awaited forest dwellers on the other side of the bridge was death.

The atmosphere here was different than what she was used to. There was an eerie silence that laid upon the trees, broken only by the caws of blackbirds and the hiss of the wind running through the canopy. The leaves didn't seem to be as green, the air didn't smell as sweet, and the sky wasn't as clear. It was oppressive. And it was for this reason that Saria had chosen to sit where she was; being enveloped by the scent of boughs and foliage made her feel more secure. Yet, she still had trouble making herself stay.

She was mulling over one question she had found herself asking more often as of late: was he going to leave the forest? Before this time, the thought of him deserting all he had ever known was completely absurd. Now, it seemed the idea wasn't an impossibility. What other reason would the Great Deku Tree have summoned him other than to tell him the truth about his past? The Deku Tree had never verbalized it, but it had always been obvious the fact that the boy was different from the other Kokiri children, and a select few of them never let him forget it. But he had always been happy here. Why would he—why would _anyone__—_want to leave Kokiri woods? The concept intrigued the small part of her that was curious to know what was out there, but it mostly frightened her. All of these worries had been weighing on her mind for the past two hours. She had to know if her suspicions were true, and she wanted to see them confirmed with her own eyes.

She refocused on the object resting between her hands, wondering again if a quick tune would do her any good. She decided against it; the environment was simply too unfriendly. Besides, the trees here wouldn't appreciate it as the ones in the meadow would.

A quick, rhythmic thudding suddenly came into earshot. Saria looked up, leaning forward to peer through a mess of leaves and branches.

The fairy beside her began to flitter around her head as the small figure of a child appeared from around the bend, following the dirt path leading to Saria's hiding place. The flash of flaxen hair underneath a forest green cap was all she needed to see to recognize him. For one brief moment, happiness welled up inside of her at the sight of him. Then, she realized what this meant.

She hastily began to descend the tree, thankful that she was at least being given the chance to say goodbye. Landing nimbly on the forest floor, Saria looked up. For some reason, she had expected him to stop, to know that she was waiting for him. She wove through the trunks and shrubbery in a direction parallel to the dirt path to try to head him off before he reached the bridge. Her feet didn't seem to be moving as fast as they were capable of, and each second felt as if it was taking too much time to turn into the next. Finally, she leapt onto the path.

Saria felt a sickening jolt in her gut as she saw the boy take his first step onto the bridge, no hesitation in his stride. The only thing her mind was registering was the present moment. He was mere feet in front of her, but was obviously driven by a complete focus on his goal. She would never be able to catch up to him.

As Saria came to the bridge, she slowed a bit, and spurted in a loud and unsteady voice, "Oh, you're leaving…." It wasn't meant to sound like a question, but somehow, it had come out that way.

The boy ahead of her slowed to a halt.

Saria stood still, a hand anxiously clutching one of the vertical ropes on the side of the bridge as she watched him.

He turned to face her before taking several quick steps toward her.

As they returned each other's gaze, the sound of her hard breathing filled Saria's head. Thoughts of what to say next flew through her mind.

"I knew…," she began, pausing to decide on the right words, "that you would leave the forest… someday, Link." She hesitated. She wanted so much for him to understand. "Because you are different from me and my friends…."

This was the first time she had ever verbalized Link's uniqueness, and it was as if the final piece of the puzzle suddenly fell into place. The fact that he was different had always sat in the back of her mind, and had wandered through her thoughts on several occasions, but never had the implications of it been so painfully obvious before this moment. There was a reason that Link was brought to Kokiri Forest all those years ago; there was a reason the Great Deku Tree had chosen to keep him here; and there was a reason that he was now leaving.

As this revelation blared in her thoughts, Saria felt slightly dejected. Though her natural instinct was to make him stay, something else told her to take a step back. A lump began to swell in her throat as a feeling of helplessness consumed her. She felt the pressure of tears threatening to spill over, and closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest to give herself a bit of comfort. Her heart thudded away madly in her chest, a reaction that had nothing to do with the earlier exercise. She couldn't cry; she didn't want him to be anymore frightened than he surely already was.

"But that's okay," Saria said, not entirely sure enough of herself to open her eyes again, "because we'll be friends forever… won't we?"

Link didn't reply.

Saria didn't want to see his face. She reopened her eyes, staring down at her hands. Her ocarina was held tightly to her chest. Then, she suddenly chuckled mirthlessly despite herself. How silly she was being! She briefly considered the instrument in her hands before looking up at the boy standing unsurely in front of her: contending with fate was not an option. Extending an arm, she held the ocarina out in front of her.

"I want you to have this ocarina," she said.

Link was still for a moment. He was silent, but his expression asked many questions. He reached out to take it uncertainly from her hand. He seemed to know that he was taking more from her than just an ocarina.

Saria answered with a simple, "Please, take good care of it."

He took one last glance at it before placing it in a small brown pouch attached to his belt. He returned his gaze to Saria, apparently at a loss for words.

Saria had grabbed the rope at her side again. It felt as though she had just given a part of herself away… but she refused to let herself believe that a second part was about to be gone forever as well.

"When you play my ocarina, I hope you will think of me and come back to the forest to visit."

There was nothing more to say. A mutual understanding grew between the two as they watched each other for a long moment. More was said in the silence than either of them could ever express in words. For the first time in the past few hours, Saria finally felt content, and she finally understood that she couldn't—wouldn't—stop him from leaving. Nothing would.

Link took a couple of steps back, not breaking eye contact. A clear but unspoken farewell then passed between the two before he spun around.

Saria watched as he ran the remaining stretch of the bridge. Before she knew it, he entered the tunnel and was swallowed by the shadows of the unknown. Her hand still gripped the rope tightly as the tremors caused by his steps quieted.

He would be back. It was only a matter of time_._


End file.
